


Mark me, Burn me, make me yours.

by LittleBat



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Cause I'm a terrible person, F/F, F/M, First attempt at soulmate au, M/M, New style for me, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates, This is me putting off writing my other stories, purely indulgent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-21
Updated: 2017-11-28
Packaged: 2018-09-01 06:24:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,773
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8612704
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleBat/pseuds/LittleBat
Summary: It wasn't that Grillby didn't appreciate having a soul mark. Not everyone got one after all. The very first words your soulmate would say to you, tattooed somewhere on your body. They appeared when your soulmate was born. The older of the pair would have to wait for their partner to be born before they got it, but the younger had it from birth.  Some people, both monster and human alike, didn't have soul marks. Their destined mate had either passed away before they were born or, in the most saddening cases, died before the couple got to meet. In very rare cases marks changed, but that was only in extreme circumstances.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Been kinda obsessed with the soulmate thing and this popped into my head. Also procrastinating writing my other story(s) cause I'm a terrible person like that.

It wasn't that Grillby didn't appreciate having a soul mark. Not everyone got one after all. The very first words your soulmate would say to you, tattooed somewhere on your body. They appeared when your soulmate was born. The older of the pair would have to wait for their partner to be born before they got it, but the younger had it from birth. Some people, both monster and human alike, didn't have soul marks. Their destined mate had either passed away before they were born or, in the most saddening cases, died before the couple got to meet. In very rare cases marks changed, but that was only in extreme circumstances. 

Grillby had waited all his life for his mark to show up, but had given up centuries ago. He had assumed he was one of the few who never got to meet their other half, and had grown to accept it. As a fire elemental he had a long life expectancy, longer than that of most monsters. He'd accepted that he was going to live his near-immortal life alone, until 23 years ago.

He didn't actually know the exact date he'd gained his soul mark. The days had passed with their usual routine; being woken up by nightmares of the War, making lunch and getting dressed, then going down to open his bar. Grillby was proud of the little pub he ran, one of the only ones in the Underground, certainly the only one in Snowdin. It wasn't until Sans, one of his closest friends and regular customers, pointed it out that he'd even known he had a mark.

“holding out for someone important huh?” Sans voice has the tone that usually meant he'd said a joke of some sort, but Grillby didn't catch it. He tilted his head in silent question, and for was rewarded with Sans gesturing to his hand.

The glass he had been polishing shattered on the ground as the fire monster looked at his hand. Etched on the back of his left hand, looking like it was under the flames and yet part of them at the same time, he had a soul mark. The writing was black, as they always were, it's style dainty and yet energetic somehow. Looking at it gave him energy, made him want to laugh and smile. He did both quietly, and felt the flames that made up his hair settle from his surprise and change to and excited flickering. 

Hold This

Sans had, in his usual lazy fashion, used his magic to clean up the glass shards from the ground while he watched his friend have his moment. He had known, it was his privilege as best friend after all, how sad Grillby was at the thought of having no partner. He had seen Grillby slowly but surely hide in on himself, growing more and more despondent and withdrawn as other monsters met their soulmate. He'd had his own issues with his mark. The simple lines in a regal font, ‘Who's there’, had plagued him. As a comedian, Sans told his fair share of knock-knock jokes. He told them more often once his mark appeared, watching for a reaction. So far he'd had no luck, but he still had a bit of hope. 

Grillby now shared that hope, and soon after his mark appeared when out of his way to meet new monsters. As small as the Underground was, it still had a rather large population. When Frisk had set monster kind free half a decade ago, the pre-war veteran had felt a bit of apprehension, still no closer to finding his mate. The world was so large and open, he worried that his mate would be even harder to find once monsterkind spread out.

He had always been a believer in fate, even when he'd thought his was to be alone, and fate would bring him and his match together. Instead of stressing himself about it, he had opened up his bar in the town at the base of Mount Ebbot. It was his hope that his soulmate, be they monster or more recently, human, would be drawn to the bar, and everything would work out. 

This all lead him to the situation he was in now. He was standing under the awning of a local grocers, his bags hanging from his arms as he looked out to the empty street. Anyone with sense was inside right now. The weather forecast this morning had called for sun, with a bit of clouds. It was very wrong, and the sky had opened up while he was grocery shopping and was now pouring. Being entirely made of fire, the non-stop water coming from above gave him a bit of worry. 

Dressed in a simple button down tee and some nice jeans, Grillby was not prepared for this weather. He had his bar to open in a few hours, and yet this precipitation left him stranded. There was the option of running through it, but he really didn't want to. The bar was over 7 blocks away, and the rain would hurt him. Water to a fire elemental was like acid to any other. It would burn him, and in the right doses could kill him. This deluge appeared to be that right dose. If only he hadn't forgotten his phone at home, he would have been able to call for a ride. 

He was broken from his musings as a young woman ran toward him from across the street. She was dressed oddly, a long black cloak that seemed to repel water over a light peach sundress. White open toed sandals showed her coral painted toenails. She had her own bags, held in one hand while the other had an umbrella. Grillby watched warily as she approached, but that left when she flashed him a smile. 

It was if the sun shone through her eyes, the way they lit up with her smile. Breathing seemed like an impossible task, and he never wanted to blink for fear that she would disappear. She was beautiful, and Grillby found himself staring stupidly. Thankfully she didn't appear to notice, and instead thrust her umbrella into his hand.

“Hold this.” Her voice was cheery and bright, he could hear the smile in it as he rushed to obey. Instantly he knew that he would do whatever her voice told him, would do anything to hear it again. It was only as she placed her bags on the ground that the meaning of her words caught up to him. 

In a quick move the human woman undid her cloak, swirling it off her shoulders and onto his. The inner lining seemed to be made of silk, a red so dark it was nearly black itself, and the outer lining had water droplets dripping off without penetrating. She clasped the cloak at his throat, giving it a slight tug to ensure it was on before removing her hands. 

She gave him a sheepish smile, as if realizing that yes, personal space was a real thing, and stepped back. Before Grillby could react she grabbed her bags from the ground and took off into the rain. What was deadly to the fire man soon coated the one he recognized as his soul mate, her dress quickly becoming soaked and sticking to her form. She didn't seem to mind, in fact she did a little swirl in the downpour, apparently enjoying how the water felt dripping from her hair. Then she gave him a quick wave and disappeared into the mist. 

It was only once she turned the corner that Grillby came to his senses, and he rushed into the rain after her. A few drops still hit him, but he was protected by her gifts. He ran in the direction she went, but there was no sign. The heavy downpour obscured visibility, and there were no footprints for him to follow. Even sound was drowned out by the constant rain. He called out still, his seldom used voice getting lost in the air, his cries unanswered.


	2. Chapter 2....finally!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Round 2. Fight!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, it's been a long time huh. I'm sorry. If you want the full story on my life I'll post a little blurb in the bottom notes. BUT here is a chapter of this. Its longer than I normally do too, maybe that'll make up for it. And there's more in my head. Not written out cause I'm still trash, but the ideas are there. I've been inspired by some awesome authors like LilyHellsing, Cicir, TheNinjaMouse, Borked, and A_Pile_Of_Trash. Seriously, they all rock and if you like Grillby fics you need to go check them out.

It was weeks since Grillby had met his perfect match, and with each passing day he grew sadder. He had finally met the one, after centuries of waiting, and he'd mucked it up by being too shy. Now you were lost to him again, in a world so large he had no chance of finding you. He'd gone back to the grocery store where he'd met you nearly every day, waiting outside in the spring rain with the hopes that you would pass by again. In a burst of inspiration he'd even gone to other stores nearby to ask if they had any clue on you. Well, he'd gotten Sans to ask, as he was still uncomfortable with talking to strangers. 

Sans had been the perfect friend in the past months, going out of his way to help Grillby find his partner. When the barrier had broken Sans had found his soulmate in the former queen, Toriel. While exceedingly rare, it was not unheard of for a person to have more than one soulmate, or even for them to break a soulmate bond. It was well known that Toriel and Asgore had been soulmates before, but now she had a new match. Grillby felt bad for his old friend, and hoped the king would get a new soulmate too. The pain of losing the soulmate he'd barely even met stung Grillby to the Core, he could only imagine what his monarch felt.

Still, life moved on. The fire elemental had been alone for a long time, he was no stranger to it's pain. With the arrival of summer tourism in Ebbot flourished, and with it patronage to his bar grew. While still in what locals had coined ‘Monster Town’, his bar wasn't too far from the main strip that it didn't get the occasional human. Most were out-of-towners who hadn't seen monsters before and wanted a closer look, and some where students from the local college out on break and looking for a good time. Either way, it was good business.

Grillby almost didn't look up when the bell above the door signaled another patron, too lost in his own melancholic thoughts about soulmates, but his proper manners made him do it anyways. At first all he saw was another human playing with her phone, but then she looked up and Grillby felt his world shake. You were back. Looking at him with vague recognition, giving him a sweet smile as you walked up to the bar.

Your outfit suited your figure, a tight fitting light blue baby doll tee and some denim shorts. You had some high top sneakers on, and Grillby could feel his flames flicker as he noticed a few tattoos scattered along your lovely legs. It also looked like you'd gotten a haircut since he'd last seen, but maybe that was due to the beach curls in your hair, or the fact that it didn't have water weighing it down. You were radiant, sitting at his bar and smiling at him. Grillby found himself glad you couldn't see his eyes or read his expression, he was sure to be making a fool of himself. 

“Hey there Rainman, fancy meeting you again!” You teased him, and Grillby felt his soul shudder in delight. 

“Would it be possible for you to call me a cab? I’m late for work, my phone is dead, and I'm honestly a bit lost right now.” The rest of the world melted away as he focused on you, including Sans and his excitable look. One would have thought it was him meeting his match by the dopey smile on his face. Considering how he'd helped Grillby look when he lost you, it was well deserved. 

The fire elemental sobered up at the thought of losing you again, as well as the slight confusion he saw in your eyes. He realized he had been silent the entire time, and panicked when your smile started to dim.

“Stars above, you're beautiful.” His voice was as smoky as always, this time rushed out in his attempt to stave off your leaving. Your smile was replaced with surprise and recognition, eyes going wide and staring at him. In a rush you dropped the phone you had been holding and opened your right hand, palm facing down. There, written in black font that reminded him of coal drawing, were the exact words he had just said. His own hand shook slightly as he held it out, showing his mark to you. It was almost amusing the way you looked back and forth between his hand, his face, and your own hand. 

“Oh no.” It only took two words and Grillby was devastated. His flames shrunk, and he began to pull his hand back. Integration with the human world had been hard, and monsters were faced with a lot of hate and prejudice. Of course you wouldn't want to be with someone like him.

You were oblivious to his pain, reaching out and grabbing his retreating hand with your own. The contact made him shiver, even in his pain, and he couldn't help the delight he felt when fingers ghosted over the mark. It was a very intimate, a soul mark, and only the soulmate was supposed to touch it.

“Oh no. No no no no.” Your touch was feather light at first, but soon progressed to trying to smudge it off his hand. Grillby watched helplessly, negative emotions swirling about him.

“Those can't be my first words to you!” You cried out, finger dancing over your own mark. “I got such lovely words, and you get … me! It should have been something nice, or something sweet. Oh no, I've ruined everything.” Your words turned to mumbles,hands letting go of his and reaching up to pull at your hair. Grillby felt his soul soar as his hurt vanished. He took the initiative this time, reaching out and taking hold of your hands again.

“It’s perfect.” He told you, meeting your eyes with a smile. You seemed to search his face, trying to find if he was just sparing your feelings. Whatever you saw reassured you though, and you gave him a hesitant smile back.

“Hi.” Your voice was soft, nervous even, so Grillby gave the joined hands a squeeze. 

“Hi.”

With that, the world around them came rushing back. The din from the bar filled their silence, but Grillby didn't mind. He was mildly annoyed when a customer waved him over, and he gave his newly reunited soulmate a pained look. You however smiled radiantly back at him, and he took it as your permission to do his work. It was a great effort to let go, but he managed it.

Once Grillby stepped away, and you took a breath to steady yourself, Sans took his chance. He knew, logically, that you hadn't meant to hurt Grillby, but was still a bit protective of his friend. He had felt the pain of having his soulmate reject him, when Toriel had been unsure of their matching. Thankfully that was in the past now.

“hey. i’m sans, sans the skeleton. nice to meet you.” He put out his hand in greeting, and was pleasantly surprised when you took it. Your grip was firm, but not uncomfortable, and a loud fart ripped through the air at the contact. There was a pregnant pause, silence in the bar save for the annoyed crackle of Grillbys flames, as everyone wait for your reaction. 

You didn't disappoint anyone, throwing back your head and laughing joyfully at the prank. You had an infectious laugh, cute and yet dorky at the same time. Sans laughed along with you, as did other patrons of the bar, but Grillby was mesmerized. His flames sparked and danced as he took you in, enjoying the gift of your first laugh. There was a spark of jealousy that he hadn't been the one to cause it, but it was extinguished by the way your eyes sought him out, checking that he was still there. 

He returned to you, sliding behind his bar and making the drink that had been ordered. Thankfully the bar patrons, all regulars from his original bar underground, recognized this as the first meeting between soulmates and left them alone. Dogaressa even picked up her drink from the bar, instead of waiting for Grillby to deliver it like normal. 

“everyone loves the old whoopee cushion joke. nice to meetcha. grillby here has been talking about you non-stop.” Sans filled the silence of the bar, the other two too busy staring for simple things like conversation. You caught his words though, and shot a thankful look in his direction before returning to the fire elemental in front of you.

“Grillby.” Your voice was soft, tasting how his name felt on your tongue. Another full body shiver raced through Grillby, his flames popping in delight. When you said your name and he returned it, he watched as goosebumps raised on your arms and a blush crept up your cheeks. He'd heard plenty of names in his time, had even met others with the same name as yours, but suddenly it was new and wonderful again.

“Not to cut this short, because believe me I have been waiting for this for a long time and it's everything I ever hoped, but would you mind calling me a cab? I'm actually supposed to be at work right now, but I got hopelessly lost.” It seemed to Grillby that you had no qualms filling in his silence, even if you had to repeat yourself, rambling a bit with a smile on your face. Grillby didn't like the thought of you leaving, but none the less produces his phone for your use. You took it gratefully, almost as if he'd given you a great gift just by allowing you to use it. 

A gift which was swiftly snatched away by Sans, the short skeleton calling a quick ‘i got this’ before walking to the door. Grillby sent out a flare of thankful magic to his best friend, enjoying the excuse to have more time in your presence. You blinked a bit at your now empty hand, before shrugging and turning back to the elemental in front of you. 

“So this is your bar? As in you own it?” It warmed Grillbys core that you wanted to know more about him, and he nodded. His reward was another smile from you. "That's pretty amazing, owning your own business. You must have worked hard."

Grillby once again forgot to reply, lost in emotions your words had brought to life. Lobbying for equal rights, finding a place that would rent or sell to a monster, finding a place that would accept his gold so he could get human money. It had been a long and hard battle to get his bar up and running, and he'd kind of felt miffed that no one had noticed before you. It was like they expected the bar to be there no matter what, which he strove to provide but still. Some appreciation went a long way, and only Sans had ever really mentioned it. Before you. 

Deciding that he couldn't spend more time staring at you like a lovesick loon, especially not when he had patrons to serve, Grillby quickly made a serving of fries and set it in front of you, as well as a glass of water on a napkin. His soul swelled again at the worried look he'd received from you when he went near the dangerous liquid, yet you seemed to trust him enough not to hurt himself. Barely ten minutes in your presence and he was smitten. 

He helped the other customers while he attempted to tame himself, feeling your eyes on him as he worked. Between customers he would invariably park himself in front of you, listening to whatever conversation you were having with the recently returned Sans. Said skeleton was entertaining you where he couldn't, making you laugh while answering your questions. The conversation touched on everything about the Underground, with Grillby interjecting where he could. Every time the fire elemental spoke up his wing-monster would back off and would then pick it back up when the words ran out. And only one embarrassing story about Grillby had been told so far, so that was a win.

All good thing must come to an end though, and so his time with you was cut short. One of the monsters near the front windows called out when your taxi arrived. Like a popped bubble your smile seemed to dim. Grillby was frantically thinking of ways to bring it back when you pulled out a pen. In an elegant scrawl that looked so identical to the one on his hand, you wrote your name and phone number on your napkin. Like he had any chance of forgetting you.

"I've got to go now. Deb is probably really mad at me for being late. But, uh, call me? Or text me. Whatever you want. It doesn't matter. Oh my god I'm going to shut up now." You had been tugging a strand of hair as you spoke, making Grillby wonder how it would feel to run his hands through your hair. Or hold your hand. Or how your hair would look fanned out around your head on his black silk bed sheets. Those thoughts almost distracted him from your reddening face, but in your embarrassment you left before he could reply. Just like last time you left with the last word, like a force of nature leaving him stunned speechless. The only difference was this time you weren't lost to him.

The napkin sat innocently on the counter, the condensation ring from your glass still visible. With gentle hands Grillby picked it up, using his flame to dry the water without hurting the napkin. That was his plan at least, and it went well until a new monster sat in your recently vacated spot. The monster managed to knock over your water, spilling it towards the elemental. With a startled jump, Grillby dodged the water and somehow managed to ignite the napkin in his hands. The bar was dead silent, everyone staring between the new monster and the ashes falling from Grillbys hands.

"Why is this place always so dirty? And what's the wifi passw-" The new monster didn't get a chance to finish, thanks to a certain skeleton and his shortcuts. Grillby didn't notice, once again lost.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for how this ends. I'm a terrible person. I wonder who that new monster was? ᕕ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)ᕗ
> 
> But I PROMISE I have more planned out in my head, maybe I'll feel well enough to write them out soon. 
> 
> What should your job be? It's gotta be something that has you traveling the city by foot but kind of randomly. Maybe an in-home masseuse? Or like the co-owner of some advertising company and you go out to see how the billboards look and such. I dunno.
> 
> I realized that you left without paying for your meal. Not like Grillby would have let you pay, but you didn't even try. I bet you totally won't obsess about that.
> 
> I decided to write a whole separate work for my life story. It was getting to long to fit in these end notes. It was actually longer than this chapter lol. If you feel like reading that it's in my other works. "This is a bad idea, lets do it!" an autobiography of an idiot lol. 
> 
> Comments give me life.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments give me the will to live


End file.
